Plans for gravel extraction at White Cross Farm in Wallingford return

Aggregate suppliers London Rock applied for permission to extract 550,000 tonnes of minerals at White Cross Farm, near Wallingford and then construct a 280-berth marina on the site once quarrying had finished and the pit filled with water.

However Oxfordshire County Council rejected the plans for several reasons including a lack of demand for new moorings.

Cholsey parish councillors were also concerned the marina wouldn't be built once the gravel was extracted which could be in many years time, once digging was complete.

London Rock has now submitted a new application in joint partnership with the landowners to extract 550,000 tonnes of minerals over a potential 19 hectares.
 

The proposed site in North Wallingford.

The extraction will be over four to five years with an anticipated 140,000 tonnes extracted per year. There is a proposed additional year for restoration work on completion.

Plans still include the construction of a new access road into the quarry site off Reading Road and an exit road onto the Wallingford by-pass which joins the A329 at a roundabout that forms the north-western boundary of the site.

The company resubmitted the application without the marina as it believed the refusal of the first application "focused particularly on the marina end-use, with limited concern raised over enabling mineral development".

The marina which was rejected in 2020.

In the re-submitted planning statement, Simon Rees, an agent for London Rock, said: "There are no adverse impacts which significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the proposals.

"It is considered that the planning application should be permitted as a matter of importance to ensure a steady and adequate supply of aggregates are provided within the county of Oxfordshire."

Developers reapplied without the marina believing the reason for rejection was the lack of need for it.

However Adrian Duffield, head of planning at South Oxfordshire District Council, has recommended the application be refused as many consultees “raised objection to both the marina and the mineral extraction”.

He said: “The site is not necessary to meet the sharp sand and gravel targets going forward. This site has several constraints which mean that it is unlikely to be the most suitable site.

“I do not believe that the site will yield a significant amount of minerals to justify the harm the proposal would cause.

“The proposed development would be harmful to the Chilterns AONB, the landscape character of the site and would be visually intrusive to users of the river, the Thames Path and the elevated sections of the A4130.

“Furthermore, no public benefits or exceptional circumstances have been presented in relation to the proposed development”